Tag: life

Posted in communication, life, priorities, sovereignty of God, travel, wisdom

The Harbor Pilot

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation.” Psalm 25:4-5

 We waited patiently outside the harbor for him to arrive. One thing my wife Judy and I have observed over and over again during our adventures while cruising is the necessity of a harbor pilot. The bottom line seems to be that no harbor pilot means no entry into the harbor. Now this might seem a little unnecessary or odd because our ship is already captained by a very experienced captain. He or she always has many years, and often decades, of experience navigating their ship around. Surely in all their years of captaining they have encountered every contingency.  But wait there is more.

Not only do they have all this experience, most of them have plotted the same course over and over again. That means that they have sailed into the same harbors over and over again. Surely they know more about the harbor than anyone. I guess you could argue that surely the captain of the ship doesn’t need a harbor pilot but you would be wrong. You see, no one knows the harbor like the harbor pilot. He knows every nook and cranny of the harbor. He knows every current and even how the wind blows and affects the ships inside the harbor. He is the definitive expert.

I suppose that is how it is with us and God. Let’s be honest.  Don’t we often think we know enough…and dare I say more…than God? After all, we would argue, who knows us better than ourselves. Who knows our paths better than us since we sail it–walk it– every day all of our lives. But trust me on this one–the One who created us knows our in’s and out’s better than we ever could. Having Him as our “Harbor Pilot” is not only a great idea–it the absolute best idea.

As much as we think we know it all–we don’t. Like harbors have hidden dangers so our lives, even our walk about daily lives, have dangers we cannot see and therefore are not prepared for. So why not invite God to board your vessel and guide you into the harbors of your life. There is no situation He cannot handle, no harbor He does not know. He is patiently waiting to guide you. Like the captain of the ship has to surrender control of his vessel so we must be willing to surrender our lives. It’s a great thing to know that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, life, loving others, priorities, Scripture, spring, Trials

Tragedy, Triumph and Toughness

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55

They were a feather covered “band of brothers.”  A while back when I was walking in the park, I once again realized what a “band of brothers” the geese and ducks are in the park.  As I made my laps around the park pond, I couldn’t help but notice what was happening.  No, they were not a few like the Marines, and I have no clue if they were proud of anything besides the huge mess they make on the walking path, but they were quite the band.  Their slogan might be, “The Tragic, the Triumph, and the Tough.” Hmmm…that sounded better when I thought it up but hey, let’s see how it goes.

Monday of that week, I noticed in the geese and duck community there were signs of tragedy brought on by a duck couple’s poor choices.  Monday, they had decided to lay some eggs and they chose the worse place ever—just three feet off the walking path.  It was simply a hole in the ground with no protection, no anything.  It was an invitation to disaster.  Tuesday she was on the nest, and he was doing his daddy duck thing—waddling, strutting, and quacking.  By Wednesday, it was game over.  Lap one, they were gone, and one lone egg lay on the grass outside the nest.  Lap two, they were back, and the egg was gone.  Lap three they were walking around sadly quacking.  I don’t speak fluent duck, but it seemed they were asking, “What happened?” I told them…out loud… “Bad choice guys, bad choice.”  It was a tragedy.

But with the occasional tragedy comes moments of triumph.  About ten or eleven days after the tragedy, I found a bunch of feathers by the walking path…bummer…and it looked like another sad tale…and it was.  But then something happened.  A little further down the path, there were two small ducklings that had somehow survived the onslaught.  They were survivors…they were beating the odds.  When I walked a few days later, they were still there…sticking together…a small “band of brothers.”  They were hanging around a couple of big ducks, but it was clear that they were on their own.  Way to go little ducks…keep on keeping on!  It was a moment of triumph.

And then there were the tough guys. They had survived being goslings and now they were big, they were bad, and they were tough.  The geese love to stand around on the walking path and, uh, well, you know.  It’s really quite messy.  That day, I was speeding along, and I soon realized the geese and I were on a collision path…either them or me were going to have to hit the grass and it wasn’t going to be me. So, I “parted the waters” and they all puffed their chest out and started hissing at me.  They hissed, I kept walking and they finally moved. We had played chicken (no pun intended) and I had won, but I had to admire their toughness. Like I said, “gutsy.”

Tragedy…Triumph…and Toughness. It seems life is life no matter what. We all know about tragedy…live long enough and it is going to mess with your life.  The difference is ducks and geese rarely see it coming and we often do. The difference is they have to face it alone, but we have a Someone who will walk with us through the hard times. That someone is Creator God.  He is always there and always willing to help. He can turn tragedy into triumph.  While there are plenty of epic failures in our paths, we can also know the joy of winning…of triumph. I remember when ABC Sports tag line was “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” and that is the way of life.  Sometimes we win and sometimes…well, we don’t.

I know it is natural for us, like our goose friends, to puff our chest out, and hiss and strut around trying to prove how tough we are. But truthfully, often we are not tough enough and that is when we need to lean on the One who is.  Our Dearest Daddy loves us so much that He sent His Son to take on our greatest enemy…death…and soundly thrash it.  No wonder Paul, one of the guys God used to pen a lot of the New Testament, said, “Who got the last word, oh, Death? Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?”  You gotta love Jesus’ toughness when it came to taking on sin and the grave.

Well, if you live in Harrisburg, Illinois or if your town has a park with a goose and duck “band of brothers” stop by and see what you can see…what you can learn.  And if you’ve never met the God who took on death and won…why not check Him out today.  You will discover a God who is strong enough to say, with confidence, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Grace, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful

The End Isn’t the End

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship.” Psalm 19:1

It seemed like the end of the road…but it wasn’t.  My wife Judy and I live in Southern Illinois.  I know, when you think of Illinois you think about Abraham Lincoln and Chicago but believe me there is a whole lot more to Illinois than that.  The part of Illinois that we call home is south, way south.  Our nook and cranny of Illinois, which is right at the Shawnee National Forest, is crammed full of natural beauty.  Lush forests, rock bluffs, waterfalls, and hiking trails galore are but a few of our treasures.

Often Judy and I will get in our car and just drive. One of our favorite drives takes us up to U.S. Highway 1 heading east.  The area is pure country with plenty of green scenery and rolling hills.  The road ends in a small town called Cave-In-Rock.  There are a few stores, a couple of restaurants and, you guessed it, a large cave in a rock.  The story goes that the cave was used by river pirates.  Fess Parker’s movie, “The River Pirates” was filmed there.  It is worth seeing–both the cave and the movie.  But there is one more thing that grabs my attention.

You see, U.S. Highway 1 ends at Cave-In-Rock and it ends by running right into the Ohio River.  You are traveling down on this really, nice road and all of a sudden…boom…you’re done…no more road.  The end.  But guess what?  It’s not really the end because right there in town where the road ends, is an old-fashioned, but fully functioning, ferry.  It is provided free of charge for those who need to keep going to the other side…to Kentucky. It turns out, about every 15 or 20 minutes the ferry makes a run carrying people to the other side.  So, what you thought was the end…wasn’t.

A while back I did a funeral for a real nice lady and told the crowd gathered there that it seems when we go to cemeteries that all the headstones seem to say, “The end” but I told them that isn’t necessarily so.  I told them that the end didn’t have to be the end, but rather a new beginning. I also told them about how a man, a man we shouldn’t know anything about, changed everything by dying and then coming back to life.  I told them that He promised that if we would believe in Him and what He did, that He would give us life eternal, too. That means that death isn’t a dead end, but a way for us to get from here, where things are broken, to a place called heaven where they aren’t.

I know, I know.  Sounds a little old fashioned?  Sounds a little archaic? But maybe it should sound like something else…like hopeful.  Maybe, just maybe it is worth checking out.  Some people think things like God, heaven and hope are just crutches to lean on, but I think something different.  I think they are a reality…something that each of us need to investigate.  When I look around at all this beauty in my part of the world, I just get the sneaking suspicion that it is too grand to be an accident. When I look up and see a zillion stars, they all seem to be saying, “Hey, God created us.” Yup, I have a feeling that it was created by Someone.  Amazingly a whole chunk of the world agrees.

I hope this Grits might at least stir your interest in the hope that Jesus can give.  I mean it is worth checking out since 100% of us are going to come to an end out there somewhere.  Why not check it out?  God can handle our doubts and accusations so don’t worry about offending Him.  Go to Him with your questions and listen carefully.  You might just hear a gentle whisper as He tells you He loves you and yes, “He’s got this.”         Bro. Dewayne

Posted in forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

The Heartmaker

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

I watched and liked what I saw.  I just finished a pastoral career of 42 years.  It was a great ride and I have to admit it still surprises me when I realize just how quickly time and has come…and gone.  I was privileged to stay at my last church for 24 years and if the first number was surprising to me…the second is even more so.  To be at one place that long…to say hello to so many people and sadly goodbye to others…was eye-opening.  It also has been fun watching the kids grow up.  The guy who led worship for us was five years old when I came.  Amazing.  I even had hair back then…or at least more.

In my 42 years serving as a pastor, I have bumped into a lot of people.  Some of them were nice by nature. You know, always smiling, always optimistic, and always holding the door so someone could enter first. They never forgot a birthday and were always looking for ways to lend a helping hand.  When these folks met Jesus, there didn’t seem to be a lot to change…at least on the outside.  That’s one kind of people but there is another.  Take the opposite of everything I just wrote and meet the other side of the fence. And this is what is really exciting because it so shows the power of the gospel.

I love to hear everyone’s Jesus story but I especially love the ones where the change Jesus brings is like night and day.  It’s kinda like when you mow your grass and it really needs it…you stand back and say, “Wow…that looks better.” Now to be sure, every Jesus story is a “wow” story but to see a rough old sinner become a saint by God’s grace is simply amazing. And here’s the deal.  Whether it is someone who oozes kindness or someone as rough as a corncob, the truth is they are who they are because of the “Heartmaker.”

I was officiating at a funeral one day for one of those really good people and I told the audience that we should remember that the person we were honoring that day was who they were because of Jesus.  When they met Him, the Heartmaker gave them a new heart…a heart just like His. Tucked away in the Old Testament part of the Bible is a word picture of this.  It says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” That’s what the Heartmaker does for every person who chooses to follow Him.

I’ve said before, “I wish I had that person’s heart.” Oh, I’m generally a pretty nice guy but when I see someone who seems to do Jesus really well, it creates a longing in me to be more like them which is more like Jesus. The good news is that we don’t have to wish…all we must do is ask and the Heartmaker will come to the rescue.  But you need to know this…a heart like Jesus doesn’t come cheap…it will mean seeking, surrendering, and maybe suffering…just like Jesus.  It means loving the unlovable and forgiving those who hurt us the worse…just like He would.

There is a story about a young pastor who was visiting with an old, respected pastor. The young pastor said he wished he could have the maturity and respect he saw in the older pastor’s life.  The elderly statesman said, “Son, those things came into my life through great toil and suffering.  Are you ready to pay that price?”  Not surprising, his answer was no.  We can all admire a man or woman with a great heart but how many of us would be willing to pay the price that comes with it?

The truth is all of us who are Jesus followers can and should have a heart like Jesus…the Heartmaker. I think the path that leads to a Jesus heart is found in Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.” If you’re interested in having a heart like Jesus, it starts with asking the HeartMaker. Trust me—He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, heaven, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God

Not Bad–Just Hard

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, but by Me.” Jesus in John 14:6

It was a Monday…and my brother died. It wasn’t a total surprise as we knew his health was deteriorating. He and his wife had been living in an assisted living facility for several years.  As he grew older, as often happens, his body began to wear out and finally that Monday morning it just quit working.  He not only was my brother—he was my oldest brother. He was seventeen years older than me and in so many ways he was more than just a brother…he was like a second father. To a large degree he helped mold me into who I am today…especially spiritually.  My brother was a believer, a Jesus follower and if I may say so…a pretty good one at that.  In fact, I can’t remember him ever not being a Jesus follower.  

He was the one who always made sure I had a ride to church.  He was one of those three-time-a-week goers, so I suppose that is why it has been a habit in my life too.  Over the years, he shared a lot of good advice with me…advice that has guided me along my journey. When I became a pastor, he offered me some Godly wisdom and for my birthday gifted me with a couple of foundational books.  At one of the churches I pastored, he felt led to lend a hand financially…something he did for more than a few years. He was like a father but he also was like the State Farm commercial that says, “just like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.” He was always there.  Oh, we lived in different parts of the country…but that didn’t matter.  That’s how some relationships are.

My brother wasn’t just my oldest brother…he was my last brother.  When he left town on Monday for a bigger and better place, I looked around and realized I was the last brother standing.  And that was another of those, “mortality moments.”  He was just shy of 86 when he left here and went there—there being heaven.  Eighty-six is a pretty good number, especially for men and especially for Taylor men. At first there were five of us Taylor men and three had already changed addresses—thankfully all in heaven.  So, that left the bookends—my oldest brother at one end and me, the youngest at the other. He lived a long, good life…not the richest guy, not the most popular guy, and not the most powerful guy. In the end those don’t matter anyway.  What matters is he was a Jesus guy. He made a difference. He made an impact. He left a legacy.

So, what happened that Monday morning when the last heartbeat came? Often our first thought is something bad happened.  Well, I guess you could say God, through His Word, helped me have a different view.  As I looked at all of this, death, life, and all that it entails, it seemed God said, “Dewayne, this isn’t bad…it’s just hard.”  It immediately became lodged not in my throat but in my heart.  Not.Bad.Just.Hard.  Now don’t misread this, because there is plenty of bad in the world but with God painted into the picture, His grace and mercy can change bad to just hard.

You see, when my brother’s heart stopped the other day, he gave up a broken world for one that is perfect. He gave up a broken body for one that is perfect. He gave up sickness, tears, and sadness for a place where none of that exists. No assisted living, no hospitals, no funeral homes—just a home like none we can ever imagine—at home with his Dearest Daddy.  See, it’s hard for us, sometimes really hard for us, however for him…no…he’s doing better than ever before. You might say that he is more alive than ever before. 

My brother loved our family reunions and guess what? There is one coming that will outshine them all.  Because of my pastoral responsibilities and distance, I didn’t make too many of the reunions but this one coming up…I’ll be there.  Oh, it isn’t because I’m a preacher, or go to church, or belong to one denomination or another.  No, just like my brother, I’ll be there because I am a Jesus guy and He is the way to the reunion of all reunions.  Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father but by Me.”  Yes, it is a narrow road but the grand part is everyone is invited to participate.  All you have to do is say, “Yes” to Jesus.

So, my brother died…well…actually His body died but not him.  I’ll see him again and that’s not bad. The separation is hard but there is a party coming…one for the ages.  You need to know that God wants you there also, and He made it possible for that to happen.  Jesus, faith, grace, and mercy.  Indeed, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

Rubbish

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:10-12

It always amazes me.  At 217, like most homes, we have a trash can in several rooms in our house.  Of course, the main attraction is in the kitchen.  There we have a stainless steel, thirteen-gallon can.  It holds, oh, I’m guessing, about thirteen gallons of trash—bet you saw that one coming, didn’t you?  At any rate, it always surprises me just how fast that can fill up.  It is only my wife Judy and me in the house and yet we manage to fill it up at least a couple of times a week.  The bottom line is we produce more trash than we think.

Now for part two.  In Judy’s home office, in my home office, in both bathrooms, and in at least one of the bedrooms we have additional trash cans.  Now these don’t fill up quite as fast but guess what?  They do fill up.  So occasionally one of us will make the rounds and gather all the trash from the other parts of the house.  Well, surprise again!  You would be amazed just how much trash we gather.  As we make the rounds, the bag we are carrying gets fuller and fuller and fuller.  And by the time we are done we have a very full and very heavy bag. How about that?

All the trash, whether it is from the kitchen, or the rest of the rooms ends up in the monster size can outside. Once a week, the trash guys drive by the house, grab the can, and dump it into their truck and off it goes wherever trash goes that they collect.  All I know is I am grateful that someone takes care of all my rubbish (that’s a British word I learned while in England) so I don’t have to deal with it anymore.  How about that?

You know it isn’t just physical rubbish that we must deal with in life. The truth is we do a pretty good job of producing life rubbish too.  There are words that should have never been spoken, thoughts that we should not have thought, actions that would have been better undone and that is just the short list. The Bible tells us that we all have done things that are wrong…that are offensive…both to others and to God. Too often brush it off…excuse it away but the bumps, bruises, and scars on the lives of others don’t go away that easily.  And honestly, God just can’t brush it off either.  But there is hope…big time.

You see God made a way for all the rubbish of our lives to be forgiven.  In fact, He says in His book that all our rubbish can be taken not just to the dump but as far as the east is from the west.  In another place He says they are dumped in the sea…never to be seen again.  You might wonder why God would do that for us.  The answer is one word…love.  God knows we are broken but He just loves to us too much to leave us that way.  That is why He sent His Son Jesus to die in our place on an old rugged cross.

Then here’s more good news.  No matter what kind of rubbish you have accumulated, no matter if you think it is impossible for anyone to take care of your rubbish…God can…and God will.  All you must do is ask.  Now don’t confuse this with religion or starting this or stopping that.  This is all about His love for you and His amazing grace.  So why not take your rubbish to the curb…right now…today? You can, because “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, prayer, pride, Scripture, Trials

Travel Light

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13b

Baggage…it is a fact of travel and a fact of life.  We were leaving for a great adventure—a mission trip to England to work with Africans—go figure. Our team of four checked in at the airport and gladly gave our baggage to the agent at the desk.  One by one, our bags, as varied as the people who packed them, were weighed, and given up.  And honestly, we were glad to do so.  With our baggage handed over, our journey, our travel experience was a lot easier.  When you give your luggage up, you always wonder if you will see it again.  Recently, the airline (at least the one we flew with) sent us a text letting us know everything was safe onboard our plane.  Nice.

Well, we landed in Atlanta and waited just a while and soon it was time to board the plane for our final leg of our journey…the one that would take us all the way to England.  Sure enough, a message let us know our bags were onboard and would make the journey with us.  That is always a good feeling.  A little over seven hours later, it was time to land and sure enough our bags were there, and we took an Uber to the hotel.  Well, the next leg of our journey was by train, so we had to walk a little and take the tube (the British word for the subway—not the sandwich shop) to the train station.  As we left our hotel, we had our first personal experience with our luggage.

You see, this time there was no one to take our luggage—except us. Some of us had smaller bags, some had baggage so large we nick named it “the beast.”  There was a variety of smaller backpacks and whether all of them had wheels or not, they were a necessary hassle.  If it wasn’t for the fact that it is a common sight in London…I’m sure we would have looked quite comical. But we pushed and pulled, lifted, and dragged, squeezed through tight tube gates and balanced all of this on the narrow steps of several escalators.  Oh yes…it was fun.

Well, the good news is, we made it.  We made it all the way to our destination and when the time came, we made it all the way back home…well almost.  Turns out “the beast” got left by the airline in London, but it did arrive several days later.  Because I am a person who likes to prepare, I watched several travel videos to learn about England and how to travel there.  The guy in the video made one point very clear. When you pack, remember that everything you decide to take with you, you will have to push, pull, drag, and carry along the way.  And you know what…he was exactly right.  I was very glad that my bag was one of the smaller and lighter ones (32 pounds, thank you) and my backpack was too. I was glad that at the last minute I did indeed determine I didn’t need the kitchen sink after all!

Well, we all know that baggage is part of the travel deal, but baggage is also part of this journey called life.  Along the way, we pick up things, some of our fault, and some are no fault of our own at all, and we find ourselves dragging them through life.  A difficult childhood, a broken heart, a bad financial decision, or romance decision and on and on it goes.  Baggage…we all have our fair share.  But here is the good news.  It turns out that even if we can’t totally ditch all this unwanted baggage, we can at least lighten the load.  And often, it begins with two small words—letting go.

You see, we can’t undo what others have done to us and short of a miracle we can’t forget either but there is something we can do.  We can choose to refuse to allow the baggage to weigh us down.  We can determine to what extent we give the person or the event space in our lives today.  We can let it go…we can largely leave it behind.  It will probably involve some forgiveness—whether it be someone else—or yourself. I really love the place in the Bible where Paul, who had tons of baggage, some he made and some others gave him, simply says he chose to forget.

Just for the record he wasn’t talking about actually forgetting, but rather choosing not to allow the baggage of the past to control his today. That was something he could do and something we can do.  And when we do…we are going to find out that life is a lot easier when we are not weighed down with yesterday’s baggage.  So, what do you say? Why not let today be the day we drop the bags of the past and sprint toward what lies before?  On our journey, we would sometimes help another person with their bags, and I am glad I can tell you that God is just waiting to help us with our baggage too.  Don’t you worry. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Teach Me to Abide

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

It is a beautiful song. Music has long played a major part in my life. Oh, it’s not that I am way talented and can play multiple instruments it more that I just love music. There are only a few types of music that cause me to push away…most seem to draw me in…move my soul. And trust me…I count it as a gift. I can stomp my foot with the best at a good country song and marvel at the harmony of a gifted bluegrass group. I love the blending of voices of southern gospel and barbershop. Music can cause my memories to soar as John Denver belts out Rocky Mountain High and another pair sings about laughter in the rain.

Even as I write this I’m smiling. During my one winter in Minot, North Dakota (courtesy of the United States Air Force) only one guy had a car, and we would stuff it full every two weeks on payday and would drive the twenty miles into town for two cheeseburgers, a fry, and a coke at McDonald’s. Two things were gimmes on the trip.  We would play “freeze out—rolling down all the windows with the thermometer hovering at ten degrees as long as we could stand it. The other was all of us singing at the top of our voices the hits of the day—especially John Denver singing about country roads that one day would take us home.

Take.Us.Home. Nothing stirs my soul more than songs about a God who loves me more than any words can express and one day will take me home. I’ve come to realize that music is the best language to encourage a broken heart and a longing soul. I was at a conference a couple of months ago and bumped into one of those game changing songs.  The worship team sang a song called, “Abide.” It is a mellow but hopeful song about God and how He watches over us in our day by day walk about life. One of the many key thoughts is based on what Jesus said in John 15:5. The songwriter put it this way, “You’re the Way the Truth and the Life, You’re the well that never runs dry, I’m the branch and You are the Vine, draw me close and teach me to abide.” How lovely…how thoughtful…how moving.

I love to go to YouTube and watch and listen as Arron Williams passionately sings these words. In the room with him is a guy playing keyboards. I watch as his fingers dance over the keys. Also in the room is a woman playing the cello. Oh my, at her command the rich tones fill the room and cause me to worship. Finally, there is the lead vocalist playing the guitar and artfully singing the beautiful lyrics.  All of this comes together and soothes my heart. This is a song I shared with my sister who was battling cancer and a dear friend who is also doing the same. She loved it, he loves it, and I love it too.

One of my favorite lines in the song says, “When I pass through death, as I enter rest, I depend on You, I depend on You. For eternal life to be raised with Christ…I depend on You, I depend on You. What wonderful words of promise. We will all face death one day but each one of us who knows Jesus will not stay there…we will pass through…depending on Him. So, I hope you too will discover or rediscover the world of music…especially the wonder of worship.  Allow it to teach you, fresh and renew the truth that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Abide (with lyrics)  https://youtu.be/BLDEt9KP2O0

Abide (live video) https://youtu.be/BA-Wi4fdcVE

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Can You Believe It?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly, and we fly away.” Psalm 90:10

“Can you believe another month has come and gone?”  For the last twenty-four years on the first of every month that has been my tag line for the “Baptist Hour.” And now, that part of my ministry life is ending. I’m not sure what I will do now at 7:00 am on the first of every month!

So, some of you are asking, what is the Baptist Hour? Well, it is supposed to be the longest continuously running religious radio program in the world.  Our church sponsors that program on the first of every month. So, every first of the month that’s where you will find me at 7:00 am.  And it all began for me one summer morning.

I came as pastor for Dorrisville Baptist Church in July 2000.  We were one week out from Vacation Bible School.  I was moving in, getting settled and wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into.  I believe it was a Wednesday the week of Vacation Bible School and my new friend Ben Sisk found me somewhere in the Preschool Department.  Ben was the chairman of our deacons, old enough to know Noah personally and was just a great guy. He tapped me on the shoulder and said these words, “Has anyone told you that you are on the radio tomorrow morning at 7:00 am?”  That loud thud was the sound was my jaw hitting the floor.

“What?” I asked.  It wasn’t that we weren’t both speaking English it was just it caught me totally off-guard.  I had nothing prepared (obviously), I had never spoken on the radio, never talked to a microphone in an empty room and finally, I was drowning in the “new kid on the block” waters.  Well, all that didn’t matter because it was my deal.  So, another pastor agreed to accompany me for moral support and off I went.  I survived.

I don’t remember too much about it all, I just remember getting through it.  “Whew…glad that is over.” I said under my breath. And do you know what happened? In 31 extremely short days it was time to do it again.  It was like the movie “Ground Hog Day” except in that movie it was every 24 hours life started over. So, I got to the station, got behind the microphone again and said, “Can you believe another month has come and gone?” And the rest is history.  It’s all old hat now.  I enjoy the opportunity to share, and I love saying, “Can you believe another month has come and gone?”

The first is coming again in just a week and a half but I won’t be going to the station.  I will be at a pastor’s conference which means someone will be speaking in my place. But wait, since my “next chapter” begins June 1st, I guess I am done with my first of the month date with the Baptist Hour.  But whether I am at the station or not, I’m sure I will still be befuddled that another month has come and gone.  It will be May which means we are starting month number five this year.  It means that we are seven months away from Christmas and it means that time is going by very quickly.  And, before we know it, this season, and this year will be gone.  When you are treading water like so many of us are, it is easy to zone out and just try and make it.  God has a better idea.

In Psalm 90:10, Moses writes to us and says, “Our lives last seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty years. Even the best of them are struggle and sorrow; indeed, they pass quickly, and we fly away.” I woke up earlier this year and realized that I was 70 years old.  Where did the time go?  They are indeed passing quickly and one day, each of us will, “fly away.”  But until the day we launch into eternity Moses has one more piece of advice.  He says in verse 12, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.” In other words, we must make each day matter—each day count.

I know in my life, and I can imagine in yours, we are both wishing time away.  We are saying, “I’ll be glad when all this is over.”  It’s akin to saying on Monday, “I’ll be glad when Friday comes.”  Wait a second before you press the “do not disturb” button or go into standby mode.  There is too much to do—too many opportunities to grab, too many blessings to live and too many adventures to launch into.  Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15-16 “Pay careful attention, then, to how you live—not as unwise people but as wise—making the most of the time because the days are evil.”  Making the most of the time—even suffering time, even corona virus time, even this time.

One of my favorite verses to use out of context is when Jesus was speaking to Judas.  In John 13:27 He says, “What you’re doing, do quickly.” So, whatever you need to do, are wanting to do—do quickly—don’t put it off.  Today is the day and now is the time to do life right.  Love someone, encourage someone, be kind to someone—give your spouse and kids a hug.  Laugh.  Smile. Oh, and take some time to rest in Him.  And most of all? Remember, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Mercy Me…Mercy You

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:36

I heard her before I saw her. I was sitting in the backyard enjoying a beautiful Spring early afternoon and I could hear two things.  First, there was a heavy, shuffling of someone’s feet. It is the sound when a person’s feet never quite leave the ground amplified by the heavy shoes on their feet.  Second, there was a quiet mumbling coming from the same place.  I got up for some reason and walked from the patio to our driveway and as I did, I glanced down the alley that runs next to our house.  That is when I saw her.

She was wearing a worn-out flowery dress that hadn’t seen a washing machine in a very long time.  The heavy shoes that I had heard were a pair of rubber boots that strangely were flowered like her dress.  With each step, as I suspected, her feet barely left the ground. At first, I thought she might be physically challenged which caused her shuffling but then I noticed that she was staggering as her feet shuffled. It was obvious that she was under the influence of something—drunk or high or both.

I said hello to her, but she didn’t hear me or ignored me.  It was one of those times when she was there physically but not mentally. About that time some of my tribe joined me in the driveway.  My son-in-law recognized the woman and said the other day she had pulled a hatchet on him and my daughter while they were walking, and I guess that explained what happened next.

I mentioned how sad I felt for her, but I guess because of the hatchet deal he didn’t share my compassion. She struggled on past us to make it to the end of the alley.  While attempting to cross the busy street in front of our house almost stepped in front of a car. We all sorta gasped and it was then that someone mumbled something along the line that it probably would have been better if the car had hit her. I gave the Jesus lecture about she was someone that God loved, and Jesus died for, but they weren’t buying it. Oh, not that they are a hard-hearted lot, but compassion for her had been fatally wounded by the story of an old rusty hatchet.

In this crazy story, I was wanting to judge them for judging her. The bottom line is they should have felt more compassion for her—hatchet or not and I should have felt more understanding for them because of the hatchet.  You see, it really is easy to enter the courtroom of judgement in life, isn’t it? And it’s too easy to extend mercy to one while withholding from another. Perhaps it would be better to leave the judging to the one true Judge while extending mercy to everyone and anyone.  After all, that is what He did and that is what He does.  Until we have walked a while in someone else’s shoes, we probably will misread the story.  When you find yourself in an alley or anywhere else and you are tempted to judge, just remember the One who extended mercy to you…the One who no matter what…always has this.  Bro. Dewayne